Bike Shop – Montreal’s Fitz & Follwell Co.

Few shops can boast being home to the number one activity in their city for three years running on TripAdvisor, a distinction that belongs to Fitz & Follwell Co., a tour company and retail shop located in Montreal, QC.

Few shops can boast being home to the number one activity in their city for three years running on TripAdvisor, a distinction that belongs to Fitz & Follwell Co., a tour company and retail shop located in Montreal, QC.

“I had been on a bike my whole life, and especially while living in Montreal,” shared founder Shea Mayer. “It was how I got to know the city best, and how I showed visiting friends and family around the city.” While living in Europe, Mayer found that the best way to discover a city was by renting bikes or joining a guided tour. “During one especially amazing tour in Munich I was the super enthusiastic guy at the front of the group asking the guide a ton of questions,” Mayer recalled. “After the tour he offered me a job as a guide. Though I was flattered, it made me realize that I needed to get back to Montreal and start my own bike tour company there.”

Fitz & Follwell Co. tours are based around proving a full experience, not just a typical tour. The shop and departure point is located in the happening Plateau neighborhood, outside of the standard tourist area, so even the trip to the shop adds to the customer experience. A welcoming, relaxed, and professional vibe greets visitors to the shop and tour groups depart on comfortable Linus Roadster, Dutchi, and Mixte models. “The ‘off the beaten path’ local perspective is what we’re all about,” said Mayer. “We not only want to provide our customers with a solid overview of the city, but also give them ideas about areas or places they can go back and explore even further on their own. We often receive comments from customers that their tour ‘felt like riding around the city with an old friend for the day’.”

As both the home of the tour company as well as a retail space, Fitz & Follwell Co.’s shop is designed to serve a wide variety of customers. “Given that we serve both the local and tourist market, the shop is full of quality souvenirs and gift ideas,” said shop manager Justin Bhatia. “It’s safe to say we have the finest selection of cycling bags, panniers, baskets, bells, and leather goods in the city.”

“We like to think of our shop as a ‘hub’ where visiting tour customers can come and meet a local here to get their bike ­fixed, and get some tips on where to ride or where to grab a good beer,” said Bhatia. It’s this inviting atmosphere that Bhatia has credited with appealing to men and women of all stripes, “We are all cycling enthusiasts who want to see lots more people on bikes riding in a comfortable, safe and stylish way and this is something that women seem to respond to.”